Improvement in car-couplings



ML WOODS.

Car-Couplings;

Patented May 5,1874. Y

' in the top of the draw-head.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

vMATHEVV VOODS, OF CAPE ELIZABETH, MAINE.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLINGS.`

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 150,453, dated May 5, 1874 application filed April 9, 1874. f

To all whom it mag/concern:

.Be it known that I, MATHEW Wons, of lape Elizabeth, county of Cumberland and State of Maine, have invented a new and useful Improved Car-Coupling; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, that will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being made to the accompanyingdrawing forming part o f this specification, in which- Figure l isa side elevation; Fig. 2, va vertical longitudinal section.

Same letters show like parts.

The object of my invention is to produce an improved car-coupling, one that will possess all the advantages of the ordinary link-andpin coupling in common use, and in addition will be automatic inits action. Its construction is simple, and may be thus described:

a represents the draw-head, having its mouth or entrance b made somewhat ilaring, in order A to facilitate the entrance of the link of an ap preaching draw-head. In the rear part of the hollow of the draw-head a are th'e recesses c c', the purposes of which will be hereinafter described. Through the lower part of the draw-head passes horizontally the rod or bar d. To this rod or bar d, on each side of the draw-head, as shown in the drawing7 are iirmly attached, eccentrically, the circular plates or disks e. On the center of the rod d, and irlnly attached thereto, is the vertical arm or lever f. This lever rests directly, or rather is held by the operation of the disks e, before described, under the pin-hole g shows a slot back of the hollow of the draw-head, in which the arm or lever f plays when thrown back- Vward by the entrance of the link.

Having thus given the construction of my invention, I will now describe its operation: The lever f, by reason of the eccentricallyplaced disks e, rests, as before specified, directly under the pin-hole in the toppside ofthe draw-head. The pin h is then placed in the pin-hole, and is held-elevated by reason of its resting upon the upper end of the vertical arm f. The link i, entering the draw-head a, strikes this vertical arm, and forces it backward and out from under the pin h. This operation allows theV pin to drop, and completes the operation of the coupling. To facilitate the ready en trance of the link to an approaching drawhead, I have devised the recesses c c', before mentioned. When the link enters the drawhead, and forces the lever f backwardly, it (the link) passes into the recess c, and is thus held in a horizontal position. To aid its entrance to a draw-head which is lower than the one in which the link is held, the said link should be placed in the recess c. This, it will be apparent, will allow the outer end of the link to rest in a lower plane than its inner end, and will permit it to enter a drawhead lower than that in which it is held. lIt is obvious that by having the disks e placed eccentrically, they will enable the vertical bar to rest under the pin-hole when the pin is rai-sed; in other words, they serve as a counter-balance to the lever f.

An important feature of my invention consi sts in having two or more recesses in the rear part of the draw-head, for the purposeof aiding the link in its entrance to another drawhead.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isf The combination, in a draw-head provided with the slot g and two or more recesses, c c', for the purpose of regulating the position oi' the link to an approaching draw-head, of the horizontal rod d, provided with the eccentrically-placed circular disks e and vertical 1ever f, substantially in the manner and for the purposes set-forth.

MATHEW WOODS.

Witnesses:

FRANK H. JORDAN, H. W. SAGE. 

